The beast or beasts in the Bible are referred to as several final apocalyptic world powers. A comparison of Revelation 13 and the prophecies recorded in the book of Daniel is important in understanding. The beast as rising out of the sea indicates that it owes its origin to the sea of humanity, winds denote political strife and war. Actually there are many beasts in the last days, a beast with four heads, four beasts full of eyes before and beyond, the Antichrist and false prophet are also called beasts. The first beast was like a lion, the second like a calf, the third had a face as a man and the fourth like a flying eagle. The fourth beast came from the first beast, it has 7 heads and 10 horns. Like unto a leopard, and his feet that of a bear, mouth as a lion, the dragon gave him power and his seat and great authority. One of his heads as it were wounded to death is a reference to the Anti-christ, and his deadly wound was healed; and the entire world wondered after the beast. "And they worshipped the dragon which gave power to the beast, saying who is like unto the beast? Who is able to make war with him?"

The dragon is identified as satan who give the power to the beast. The beast is not only the dragon with four heads but also one that gets his power from the dragon. Unfortunately more people are getting their information concerning the identity of the beast from popular books, tapes and movies than they are from the Bible. Most of it is mere speculation but also from religious bigotry, prejudice and paranoia against perceived enemies. These popular misconceptions have actually been around for as long as the church has been around, especially in the last two centuries.

Many have been identified as the beast, being more obvious figures like Hitler or Nixon, world dictators or right wing extremists, the more ridiculous interpretations have been Nero or the pope. Don't be fooled, this guy will look good and bring the whole world onto his side for the sake of peace, safety, globalization and economic prosperity, including all the religious people. He is going to wave and say God bless you, the world will love him, Christians and non-christians alike are already primed and ready for this false messiah to come. And we know that these prophecies are "what shall befall thy people in the latter days." George Bush Sr. has convinced us that the New World Order is already here with America as the leading power, now we have his son putting it all in place. The whole world is falling in line.

"The beast is given to make war with the saints, and to overcome them. And all who dwell on the earth shall worship him, whose names are not written in the book of life. Sea of glass mingled with fire, and them that had gotten victory over the beast, and over the number of his name, stand on the sea of glass, having the harps of God. The beast was and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and go into perdition."

And I beheld another beast coming up out of the earth; and he had two horns like a lamb, and he spoke as a dragon. And he exercises all the power of the first beast before him, and causes the earth and them which dwell therein to worship the first beast, whose deadly wound was healed. And he does great wonders, so that he makes fire come down from heaven on the earth in the sight of men, And deceives them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed. And he causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and bond, to receive a mark in their right hand, or in their foreheads: And that no man might buy or sell, save he that had the mark, or the name of the beast, or the number of his name. Here is wisdom. Let him that has understanding count the number of the beast: for it is the number of a man; and his number is Six hundred threescore and six.

The ten horns are ten kings that will give their power unto the beast. The little horn who ruled the beast, is also called the beast. Our immediate experience of the beast is of it's hedonistic side rather than the oppressive but he will fool the masses for he will come in peace. Given the power to make war, calling fire from heaven is just what we see on television with satellite hook-ups and missile attacks. He will be a religious leader as well as a political one.

The lion had a pair of great eagle's wings. The wings were plucked, lifted up from the earth, and made to stand upon the feet as a man, and a man's heart was given to him. The bear raised up himself on one side, and it had three ribs in the mouth of it between the teeth of it; and they said thus unto it arise, devour much flesh. The leopard had upon the back of it four wings of a fowl; the beast also had four heads; and dominion was given to it. Fourth beast, dreadful and terrible, great iron teeth, strong, it devoured and brake in pieces, diverse from others, had ten horns. Little horn had eyes like a man, and a mouth speaking great things. Beheld even until the beast was slain, and his body destroyed, other had their dominion destroyed. Beasts are four kings, but the saints shall take the kingdom, and possess forever. The fourth beast shall be the fourth kingdom, shall devour the whole earth. Fourth beast subdues and dismembers the lion, bear and leopard, no longer sovereign, had their lives prolonged for a season and a time.

The Beast comprises an economic one-world government that rules through a man possessed and controlled by satan, the prince of this world. The big mouth of the little horn will blaspheme against God Himself. He will attempt to wear out the saints, the little stone from heaven that destroyed the statue and then became the great mountain that filled the whole earth. The four beasts, described as living creatures, are not successive, they are contemporaneous and stand side by side on the shore. The beast/heads of Daniel 7 are easy to recognize just by looking at who they could be in the current world political situation: The lion is pictured as standing erect as in England's symbol. Eagle's wings were plucked from the Lion, as in the American Revolution. Russia is always depicted as the bear and definitely lifts himself up on the western side, its history of ruthless aggression has certainly devoured much flesh and even now is part of the New World Order. The three ribs could represent individual rulers, pictured as commanding.

The Leopard could be a diversity of nations suggested in the many spots, but there is no traditional depiction as in the others, the European Union is a possibility but so is China and the Muslim nations. Power was given to it. The EU, with the other three beasts, comprises NATO and the bulk of the richest and most powerful parts of the World Trade Organization. Again, these are the interpretations that fit the current world situations and correspond to the clear understanding of scripture. Babylon rides upon them. Hal Lindsay describes the leopard as quick to seize his prey. Daniel's previous fulfillment was the leopard as the Greek empire (Alexander). The Bear was referred to the Medo-Persian empire conquered by Alexander. The lion (Babylon) is regal, elegant, monarchy. These are Old Testament fulfillments that do not fit the modern world but do point to literal fulfillments, if there was such an accurate fulfillment in the Old World, we may expect the Lord to reveal as precise to His prophets today.

The most common interpretation of the last world powers will be the resurrection of ancient Rome. The four beasts that Daniel saw would come later but the dream that Daniel first interpreted was an image of a statue and corresponds to a later vision that explains it even further. This image included a head of gold which was the current world power Babylon, and the world powers that would soon follow, the breast and arms of silver were also a ram with two horns and are the kings of Medo-Persia which prevailed over Babylon. The thighs of brass, the rough goat of Greece was next, with the leopard and the four wings representing four kingdoms which followed the great horn, Alexander, and then the legs of iron are Rome. The author of the book Decline and Fall of the Roman Empire, Edward Gibbon does not refer to the Bible when he makes the statement concerning Rome, but has this to say:

The arms of the Republic (of Rome) although sometimes vanquished in battle, always victorious in war, advanced with rapid steps to the Euphrates, the Danube, the Rhine, and the ocean. And the images of gold, or silver, or brass that might serve to represent the nations and their kings were successively broken by the iron monarchy of Rome.

From these events, we come to "his feet part of iron and part of clay. You saw till that a stone was cut out without hands, which smote the image upon his feet that were of iron and clay, and brake them to pieces. Then was the iron, the clay, the brass, the silver, and the gold, broken to pieces together, and became like the chaff of the summer threshing floors; and the wind carried them away, that no place was found for them: and the stone that smote the image became a great mountain, and filled the whole earth." This is the point that we come to the last days. Rome was broken into pieces and fragmented into all the nations of the modern world.

And whereas you saw the feet and toes, part of potters' clay, and part of iron, the kingdom shall be divided; but there shall be in it of the strength of the iron, forasmuch as you saw the iron mixed with miry clay.
And as the toes of the feet were part of iron, and part of clay, so the kingdom shall be partly strong, and partly broken. And whereas you saw iron mixed with miry clay, they shall mingle themselves with the seed of men: but they shall not cleave one to another, even as iron is not mixed with clay. And in the days of these kings shall the God of heaven set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, but it shall break in pieces and consume all these kingdoms, and it shall stand for ever.

Many since this time have tried to take on the role of the revived Roman Empire and rule over the whole world but all failed. We have the Holy Roman Empire, which was neither holy nor Roman. The Czars of Russia corresponded to the Caesars to take that on. The third Reich of Germany tried to do it. Now we come to the One World Order of today. To fulfill the prophecy of this one kingdom, they must be a mingled people that do not get along with each other. Of the four beasts of the last days, the fourth had ten horns with one notable little horn. The little horn began to grow "more stout than his fellows" and became great, and plucking three of the other horns out by their roots. "In this horn were eyes like the eyes of man, and a mouth speaking great things." At this time, God will set up His kingdom.

I beheld till the thrones were cast down, and the Ancient of Days did sit, whose garment was white as snow, and the hair of his head like the pure wool: his throne was like the fiery flame, and his wheels as burning fire. A fiery stream issued and came forth from before him: thousand thousands ministered unto him, and ten thousand times ten thousand stood before him: the judgment was set, and the books were opened.

Now we can see no other way around it in that America is one head of the beast and there are four. Not only is the eagle the symbol of America but it was also the symbol of ancient Rome. The eagle will subdue the others but the bear, the lion and the leopard have their lives prolonged for a "season and a time." Not only that but the most notable head in prophecy represents the youngest of the nations and is a melting pot with all nations flowing into her. There are economic sanctions, favored nation status, embargoes and military intervention to protect economic interests fulfilling the prophecies of forbidding to buy and sell in the global market place. We must realize that the eagle is a head of the beast but it also has been used to protect God's people and there is no reason to believe that she will not continue to do so. God will be using the wings of an eagle.

The powers in these prophecies, the dragon beast, the leopard beast, and the two-horned beast are all persecuting powers. Rage and enmity against the people and church of God actuate them. John Wesley says of the two-horned beast: "He has not yet come, though he cannot be far off. For he is to appear at the end of 42 months of the first beast." Waters represent a populous part of the world, people multitudes, nations, and tongues. Earth represents a sparsely populated place. The heavens were opened and I saw visions from God. And I looked and, behold, a whirlwind came out of the north, a great cloud, and a fire enfolding itself, and a brightness was about it, and out of the midst thereof as the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire.. came the likeness of four living creatures.. likeness of a man.. with four face, and every one had four wings.. The face of a man, and the face of a lion, on the right side: ..face of an ox on the left side.. and the face of an eagle.

Those that are not written in the book of life will worship the beast. We have the seal of God which is the fullness of the Holy Spirit in our consciousness and it is the saints of the Most High that will possess the kingdom. We are to be patient, obey God, keep the faith and have the testimony of Jesus which is the spirit of prophecy. The trumpet is at your lips. Knowing the truth gives you a solemn responsibility. Will you blow the trumpet in Zion, sound an alarm in my holy mountain, against the fenced cities, and against the high towers? saith the Lord. Arise my people. The world will behold you as great and strong, never have they seen the likes of you and neither shall be any more like you after this. Be strong and take courage for a devouring fire is set before you and behind you a flame burns. Gather yourselves together, O nation not desired; yes gather together without shame, you are worthy. Gather yourself together as one and come against her. There is still time, rise up to the battle before the decree comes forth, before the day passes as the chaff and before the fierce anger of the Lord comes upon you. Humble yourself and seek the Lord now, you meek of the earth and execute judgment - seek righteousness, seek meekness, seek holiness, it may be that you shall be hid in the Day of the Lord's anger.
[BD, 184, 240, 245, 264, 298, 342, 287, Revelation 12, 13, 14, Daniel 7, 8, Isaiah, the beast and the role of America was part of the Babylon discussion of the latter rain list]

The Lord has given Christians the grace to reconcile the children to their Fathers